Comic book aficionados converge on Windsor this weekend

The premier celebration of comic book nerd-dom takes over Caesars Windsor this weekend.

Thousands of comic book and pop culture fans, many wearing costumes of their favourite characters, are expected to turn out for Windsor ComiCon presented by Cartoon Kingdom. Two days of events and personal appearances have been scheduled, including what ComiCon General Manager Jeremy Renaud said is their biggest gathering of guests.

“We’re actually over 20 guests total, which is the biggest it’s ever been,” said Renaud. “This is the next evolution. We want to offer another experience for residents, not only in Windsor but throughout the region.”

Among those scheduled to hold question-and-answer sessions are Ivan Kocmarek and Comic Historians, David Yost the Blue Ranger and Mark Bagley with Scott Hanna on Saturday. Sunday’s scheduled guests include Marv Wolfman, Cal Dodd, and Phil LaMarr.

The show will also feature the Jurassic Park, Ghostbusters and Artemis experiences, plus the 501st Legion and Rebel Legion interactive areas. Cosplay competitions will also happen on the second-floor promenade.

Also making an appearance are three members of the original cast of the iconic “Degrassi” series, which ran on television throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. All three made an appearance Friday at the press event launching ComiCon. Cast members Pat Mastroianni (Joey), Stacie Mistysyn (Callie) and Windsor native Dan Woods (Principal Raditch) will hold a Q&A session Saturday afternoon. The event “Mystery Degrassi Theatre 3000” also takes place Saturday night at VU Bar and Nightclub downtown.

Renaud also took advantage of the press event to announce that the Windsor Toy and Comic Expo will take place in May 2019. He said this will be a must-visit for those who are toy collectors.

“If they’re looking for original, boxed, brand-new and complete Star Wars figures to He-Man figures, to G.I. Joe, to everything that kids grew up with; or even Cabbage Patch or My Little Pony, the things that girls grew up with; these are the type of things that collectors are looking for today,” said Renaud.

Windsor ComiCon will be open at Caesars Windsor Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The complete ticket information and program schedule, along with a rundown of off-site ComiCon events, is available on the official Windsor Comi-Con website.